New Zealand's prime minister proposes banning children from using social media

Key Points:

• New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has proposed a law to ban children under 16 from using social media platforms, citing harm to young people's mental health, sleep, education, and family life.
• The bill faces opposition within Luxon's coalition government, with two of the three parties planning to vote against it, and it lacks sufficient support from opposition lawmakers; no vote occurred before Parliament dissolved ahead of the November election.
• The proposed law would require platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook to verify users' ages through methods such as facial age estimation or digital ID, with fines up to 10% of global revenue for non-compliance, but excludes messaging apps, online gaming, and AI productivity tools.
• Similar age restrictions have been enacted in countries including Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia, though privacy groups have raised concerns about enforcement and user identification requirements.
• Luxon's government previously implemented a ban on cellphone use during the school day in 2024, reflecting ongoing efforts to address technology's impact on children.